#archcathedral rooftops

[edeer]

Archcathedral Rooftops

[infirmux]

wait and also the three marks of refuge for socorro and the three masks in the archcathedral rooftops ok something is happening here

[amygdalae]

the archcathedral rooftops in blasphemous make a me so angry 

[teaandgames]

Blasphemous Review (2019)

As the Penitent One, a silent man with a tall conical helmet shaped into a stoic visage, steps into a quiet room off the Mother of Mothers, he’s met with a harrowing sight. Socorro, Lady of Perpetual Agony. A woman lashed to a bed, repeatedly screaming as unseen forces torture her. It’s unsettling, especially when contrasted with the quiet man kneeling before her, watching her suffer all of the pains of his tortured kin. It’s pretty representative of Blasphemous as a whole.

As you might expect, penitence makes up the biggest theme. This is Catholic guilt taken to its extremes. It’s salvation through suffering. With its unsettling graphics, unique characters and beautifully sombre score, Blasphemous hits its intended notes without fail. It’s unrelentingly grim. Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that it’s often more fun to witness than it is to actually play. But as an experience, you won’t find many to compare it to.

Our aforementioned hero, The Penitent One, begins his journey in a pile of his dead brethren. Things come to a head once the first boss, the Warden of the Silent Sorrow, rears its head. Following that boss fight, and after the Penitent One baptises himself in its blood, the world opens up to you. It’s entirely non-linear, with the plot being more about exploring Cvstodia. It’s been gripped by a curse called ‘The Miracle’, which has twisted its occupants in the name of faith. 

As you explore, you encounter different characters all with their own motivations and feelings towards the Miracle. I enjoyed meeting Redento, a pilgrim whose hands are tied behind his back while a heavy weight hangs around his neck. The idea being that he’s always bent forward, focusing on his footsteps. His questline is probably the longest, being a tour through Cvstodia, and ends in a typically grim fashion. He’s a sign of good character design, even when it’s not outwardly disturbing. Like, say, the bloke who looks to be made of twisted ropes.

Redento gives us the perfect way to comment on the brilliant level design. Cvstodia is a wonderfully twisted place, both beautiful and sinister. It’s also very varied. The Wasteland of the Buried Churches for example, is an area of withered trees and ruined architecture. Very different from the confiscated heretical art that lies within the walls of the Sleeping Canvases. Not only are these areas different, they’re wonderfully drawn. The Archcathedral Rooftops are downright breathtaking. Just don’t fall off them.

Blasphemous is done in a pixel style, which I was actually a little hesitant about. It works very well for the backgrounds but it took a while for it to click for me with the characters. I guess I was expecting more of a painted style, given the nod to Christianity, but I’m perfectly happy with what we’ve got. It’s a sign of Blasphemous’ commitment to being old school, which is a bit of a double-edged sword. There’s no doubt it’s a classic Metroidvania and it does the ‘Metroid’ part excellently. There are rewards for exploring and constant reasons for doing so.

It’s the ‘Vania’ part that presents the biggest problems. Mostly as the Castlevania it seems to emulate the most is the original. Everything feels oddly stiff, especially the platforming, which is definitely the biggest sticking point. Falling down a pit (even when another area would be below you) or on spikes is an instant death, sending you right back to your last save point (which are shrines, incidentally). This wouldn’t be so bad if the Penitent One would actually grab ledges when he’s supposed to.

This clunkiness even starts to affect the combat, which is a shame because it’s generally decent. It’s based mostly around blocking and dodging, getting in the hits when you can. It works best during the hectic boss fights, where every failed dodge can cost you a good chunk of life. It is rather undermined by the use of the stunlock, however. You can very easily be locked into animations, while still taking hits, making some fights feel very unfair. That’s when it’s not sending you sailing straight down a pit.

While these bosses do represent some of the most annoying gameplay irritations, they also represent the best of the design. My favourites, design wise, include Exposito, Scion of Abjuration. What a title. He is a boss of three horrible parts. A giant, blind baby is held aloft by a wicker woman. Meanwhile we’re being attacked by a giant wicker snake, with the face of a man and the tail of a scorpion. It’s just a fun old time.

The temptation here is to just rattle off all of the interesting moments in Blasphemous but honestly, that would ruin it. The joy of Blasphemous is when you descend into its world. When you encounter its mix between sadness and horror; both common occurrences when you delve deep enough into a religious setting. While its gameplay is a bit too old school for my liking, the wonderful world is absolutely worth experiencing. Pros -Brilliant Level Design -Brilliant Monster Design -Wonderfully creative -Wonderfully disturbing -Core combat is quite satisfying -Cracking OST Cons -Platforming is very clunky -Abuses stun a bit too much Blasphemous Developer: The Game Kitchen Publisher: Team 17 Release Date: 10th September 2019 Play It On: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Played On: Windows